It is known in the art relating to dressings for the protection and securement of catheters and infusion needles to use self-adherent dressings to cover all or part of the insertion site. Even more simply, often medical grade tape is used to secure catheters and infusion needles to a patient, as well as to secure medical tubing extending from the catheter or infusion needle. The adhesive on tape or conventional dressings, however, often sticks to medical apparatus such as catheters, connectors, tubing, etc., rendering removal of the tape or dressing difficult. This is problematic because dressings/tape often have to be replaced before indwelling catheters or infusion needles are finished being used. When the adhesive sticks to the medical apparatus, it can cause damage to the medical apparatus as well as the insertion site or vein or artery, upon removal of the dressing, requiring relocation of the medical apparatus, or other medical intervention.
In the case of window dressings, adhesive within the area of the window can become stuck to the insertion site and the medical apparatus (e.g., a catheter) covered by the dressing. Also, tubing extending from medical apparatus, such as lumen extending from a catheter hub, can become stuck to the adhesive on the bottom side of the dressing in an area between a peripheral edge of the window and an outer edge of the dressing. When it is necessary to remove the dressing, the adhesion of the dressing to the catheter and the lumen can cause unwanted movement or displacement of the catheter from the insertion site.
Furthermore, medical tubing connected to indwelling catheters, infusion needles and the like is often subjected to inadvertent but significant pulling forces either caused directly by patient movement or by snagging of the tubing on other objects. These pulling forces might peel the medical tape or dressing securing the tubing and/or catheter, infusion needle, etc. off of the patient's skin. This undesirably exposes the catheter, infusion needle, etc. to movement inward or outward, increasing the likelihood that the catheter, infusion needle, etc. will fail and have to be replaced and inserted into a new insertion site. Also, this may weaken the adhesion between the dressing and the patient's skin, potentially exposing the insertion site to harmful bacteria.